Once hailed as the next Wasim Akram, Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir’s cricketing journey has been a rollercoaster ride of equal highs and lows. At 32, the left-arm pacer is making an unexpected comeback, coming out of retirement for Pakistan’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.
Amir was cricket’s golden boy until the 2010 spot-fixing scandal at Lord’s brought his dream career to a halt. A prodigy at 18, he was banned and jailed for his involvement in the spot-fixing saga. Many wrote him off, but his mentor Asif Bajwa never lost faith. “He will be back. Them asking him to return from his retirement in 2024 is more shocking for us. It feels like they haven’t prepared well. You don’t have the bowlers,” Bajwa told The Indian Express.
The comeback in 2016 was anything but smooth as he faced backlash from former teammates and critics, and went through immense scrutiny. In 2020, the frustrations led him into an abrupt retirement. But the fire kept burning as he became a vocal critic of Pakistan’s tactics from the commentary box. “This change in him has happened over the years. He doesn’t take rubbish from anyone. If someone tries to poke him, he always responds,” Asif added.
The latest comeback, at 32, has renewed doubts about his form and potential tensions with the current team. But Amir’s domestic performances have been promising, and Bajwa believes that Amir can still contribute immensely to Pakistan. Bajwa shared what Amir told him: “Now that I have made a comeback, I have just one aim, to win the World Cup for Pakistan. No matter what it takes.”
In 57 T20Is, the left-arm seamer has scalped 64 wickets at an economy of 7.2. The Men in Green are part of Group A alongside India, Ireland, and the hosts USA and Canada. They will square off against arch-rivals India on June 9 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.
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